Laurel’s TV Picks

Gilmore Girls (WB, 7pm)
Keen Eddie (Bravo, 8pm and midnight)
Scrubs (NBC, 8:31pm)
Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 8:59pm)
Sean Astin, Harry Connick Jr. on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm)
Karen Sisco (USA, 11pm)
Al Roker, Mischa Barton (of The O.C.) and Mindy Smith on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm)

TV DVD sets due out today: Season 1 of Doc, Season 1 of Gilligan’s Island, Season 2 of Good Times, Series 3 & 4 of Red Dwarf, The Thorn Birds, and Season 1 of What’s Happening. [More TV on DVD]

TV DVD sets due out next Tuesday (there’s still time to pre-order from amazon.com): Season 3 of Angel, H.R. Pufnstuf: The Complete Series, and Season 3 of Xena. [More TV on DVD]

Just another reminder that the Freaks and Geeks DVD set is now available from amazon.com (there’s also a limited edition available from the Freaks and Geeks website). [More TV on DVD]

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 6 DVD set will be released on May 25th (not in July as previously reported). [More TV on DVD]

Kelsey Grammer (of Frasier), Kelly Jo Kuharski (of The Bachelor and The Bachlorette) on The View (ABC, check your local listings).

Sci-Fi mini-marathon du jour: The Outer Limits (Sci-Fi, 10am - 3pm).

Katey Sagal (of 8 Simple Rules), Chris Harrison (of The Bachelorette), Brian McKnight (performs a song from his CD U Turn), footage from Houston’s trip to the Super Bowl on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

David Boreanaz (of Angel), Aisha Tyler (promotes her book Swerve: Reckless Observations of a Postmodern Girl, Vinnie Jones (of The Big Bounce), Fe Fe Dobson (performs a song from her debut CD) on The Sharon Osbourne Show (syndicated, check your local listings; WGN, midnight).

John Amos (of All About The Andersons), Dave Scott, Deborah Gibson (promotes her album of showtunes), James Hyde (of Passions), Marjorie Johnson on The Wayne Brady Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Parenting 101: Follow-ups” on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

“I Survived!” on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings). Real life survivors. Woman who was impaled, surfer girl who was attacked by shark, and more.

“Older and Far Away” and “As You Were” episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (FX, 3pm, 4pm).

“Five by Five” episode of Angel (TNT, 4pm).

“Inauguration, part 1″ episode of The West Wing (Bravo, 6pm and 10pm).

Miss last night’s episode of The Daily Show (Comedy Central, 6pm)? You can catch it this evening. With a very funny rundown of Super Bowl stuff.

New episode of Gilmore Girls (WB, 7pm). I’ve seen the episode and can assure you it’s a really good one. Anyone who misses the fast patter of the Aaron Sorkin era of The West Wing, should really be watching Gilmore Girls (which I maintain has been better than The West Wing for years now). If you’re like me and you’re not fond of Jess, you’ll be glad to hear that he’s not in this episode until the last act (this is the first part of a two-part episode); and if you like Jess, well now you’re forewarned that you won’t be seeing much of him ’til near the end of the episode. What do you get in this episode? Lots of great stuff with Kirk and Lane and Paris. Digger (Chris Eigeman) makes his first real visit to Stars Hollow; there’s also fun stuff with Emily. And Kathleen Wilhoite guest stars as Luke’s sister Liz (you may know Wilhoite best for her stint as Dr. Susan Lewis’ sister on ER). Remember that Season 1 of Gilmore Girls is due out on DVD on May 4th; the excellent soundtrack album is still available.

The “Disco Inferno” episode of Now and Again (Trio, 7pm and 10pm). Eric Close, Dennis Haysbert, Margaret Colin, Heather Matarrazo, and Gerrit Graham star.

Didn’t manage to successfully watch or record the premiere of Survivor: All-Stars (CBS, 7pm) after the Super Bowl on Sunday night? The first episode airs again tonight.

John Larroquette & Christine Baranski (well, their characters) try to form a friendship with another couple, and there’s also some storyline involving their TV kids (whatever) on Happy Family (NBC, 7:30pm). Note new timeslot; The Tracy Morgan Show has moved to Saturdays.

“A former child memory prodigy gets mixed up with a gang of thieves who are preparing a grand jewel heist” on a new episode of Keen Eddie (Bravo, 8pm and midnight). Another of the episodes that never aired on FOX.

Nina is (of course) up to something on 24 (FOX, 8pm). I bet Mrs. Palmer is, too.

Wendie Malick plans a romantic weekend away with Frasier’s Dad, only Martin misunderstands and invites Frasier (NBC, 8pm), too. As you might imagine, pretty soon the whole gang is there.

Zippo, Jack Daniel’s, Howard Johnson on John Ratzenberger’s Made in America (Travel, 8pm and 11pm).

The soap-y shenanigans presumably continue on One Tree Hill (WB, 8pm; also airs at 4pm on Sundays in most markets). Peyton kisses Lucas. “The Scott family is turned upside down” (whatever that means).

The models face “their harshest criticism” and pose “as legendary celebrities” on America’s Next Top Model (UPN, 8pm; airs again tomorrow at 8pm).

Bob Dole and Bob Woodward on Larry King Live (CNN, 8pm, 11pm, 2am).

J.D. wants to end his relationship with Tara Reid, but of course doesn’t quite know how. Meanwhile, Dr. Cox worries that the residents don’t fear him the way they used to on a new episode of Scrubs (NBC, 8:31pm). Note new timeslot, the show was moved from the Thursday night lineup to make room for The Apprentice. Also note odd start time. No, Michael J. Fox isn’t in this episode, he’s on the show next week.

Gibson guitars, flag makers, Spam on John Ratzenberger’s Made in America (Travel, 8:30pm and 11:30pm).

First the detectives find the torso of a young Nigerian boy, then the case leads them to a Santeria practioner and things get more complicated from there on a new Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 8:59pm; airs again eventually on USA). Note odd start time.

“Todd investigates a senator suspected of participating in a hanging 50 years earlier; a prostitute asks Rory to kill her father; Malloy sets himself up to take over the Richmond baseball team” on Line of Fire (ABC, 9pm). I kinda gave up on this show after I missed a couple of episodes. Anyone hanging in there? How is it? I thought the first couple of episodes showed promise.

A teen hires a man to impersonate his father in court on Judging Amy (CBS, 9pm).

Rerun of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (Bravo, 9pm and 11pm). The one with the host from a MTV-like station.

Rerun of the second episode of the second season of The Shield (FX, 10pm; also airs on Sunday). Prefer not to watch in dribs and drabs on FX? The first two excellent seasons of this show are available on DVD: Season 1 and Season 2.

A military man and an artist try to create drag boats on Junkyard Mega-Wars (TLC, 9pm and midnight).

New episode of The Osbournes (MTV, 9:30pm).

“Inside Out” episode of Angel (TNT, 10pm). From last season.

Donald Trump on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 10pm and midnight).

Coffee Flavored Unwrapped (Food Network, 10pm, 2am).

How to make homemade stock on Good Eats (Food Network, 10:30pm, 2:30am).

Nick DiPaolo, Rich Vos, Bob Golub, Scott Blakeman on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn (Comedy Central, 10:30pm and 12:30am).

Sean Astin (of Lord of the Rings), Harry Connick Jr. on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).

Kurt Russell, 5-year-old Welch’s spokeskid, Five For Fighting on The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm).

“The One That Got Away” episode of Karen Sisco (USA, 11pm). Catch these episodes while you can as the show won’t be returning to ABC (or at least it’s darn unlikely they’ll air old episodes). Thomas Kretschmann, Xander Berkeley, Peter Horton, Sarah Clarke, Martha Plimpton guest star. If you like the show, you may want to record and save ‘em. Xander Berkely and Sarah Clarke were both on 24 together and are now married in real life. This episode was filmed as the original pilot for Karen Sisco though it aired as the third episode.

Al Roker, Mischa Barton (of The O.C.) and Mindy Smith on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm).

Susie Essman, more guests TBA, guest co-host Kathie Lee Gifford on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).

Dennis Kucinich, Jane Seymour, Petra Nemcova, Gerry Dee on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (CBS, check your local listings).

Bill O’Reilly, Stephen Lynch, Leona Naess on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).

Paul Rudd (re the last season of Friends), Sesame Street Live on Today (NBC, 7am - 10am).

Patricia Clarkson, Michael Deaver (author of Nancy: A Potrait of My Years With Nancy Reagan), chef Emeril Lagasse (of Emeril Live and author of a bunch of cookbooks) on Good Morning, America (ABC, 7am - 9am).

Cedric The Entertainer on The Early Show (CBS, 7am - 9am).

The bride (who is getting married on the show this week, that is) picks her dress from a wedding dress fashion show, plus a performance by Kanye West on Live with Regis and Kelly (syndicated, check your local listings).

Marcia Gay Harden, co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck and her husband Tim’s move to the Big Apple, round two of “The View’s Next Celebrity Chef” on The View (ABC, check your local listings).

Sci-Fi mini-marathon du jour: Star Trek (Sci-Fi, 10am - 3pm).

Seth Green (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and so many other things), Tyra Banks (of America’s Next Top Model), Meredith (of The Bachelorette) on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Duane Martin (of All Of Us), Jane Seymour (who guest stars on Law & Order: SVU on February 10th), Susie Essman (of Curb Your Enthusiasm), Katy Rose performs “Overdrive” (from her debut CD Because I Can) on The Sharon Osbourne Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Jennifer Beals, Colin Mochrie, Winsor Harmon, Sam Moore, Mary Wilson, Marjorie Johnson on The Wayne Brady Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Financial Fiascos” on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

It’s a new “Follow-Up Show” on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Hell’s Bells” and “Normal Again” episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (FX, 3pm, 4pm).

“Sanctuary” episode of Angel (TNT, 4pm).

“Inauguration: Over There” episode of The West Wing (Bravo, 6pm and 10pm).

I’ll have a “featured pick” for the first time in ages as I focus on the 100th episode of Angel. Other shows with new episodes this Wednesday in primetime: The West Wing, Law & Order, That ’70s Show, Oliver Beene, American Idol, Star Trek Enterprise, Smallville, and others. Full details in tomorrow’s picks, of course.
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